Man held on suspicion of murder after mother stabbed in Bradford street

The scene in Bradford city centre (Dave Higgens/PA)

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a mother was stabbed in the neck as she pushed her baby in a pram in the street.

Habibur Masum, 25, was arrested over the death of Kulsuma Akter, 27, who was killed in the Westgate area of Bradford city centre on Saturday afternoon.

Ms Akter’s mother has been “constantly crying”, Ms Akter’s cousin told the BBC.

Aftab Miah told the broadcaster: “She (Ms Akter) was very caring, humble, she had (a) good personality. She used to make people laugh. She was a wonderful lady.”

He added: “Her mum in Bangladesh, she’s constantly crying. I spoke to (her) a lot yesterday, and she never stopped crying and all the time mentioning her name.”

Masum, from Oldham, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire – 170 miles away from where Ms Akter was stabbed.

He had been the subject of police appeals and a four-day manhunt.

Ms Akter was taken to hospital after being stabbed several times in Westgate at the junction with Drewton Road at 3.20pm on Saturday. She later died from her injuries.

The baby is safe and was not harmed in the incident, police said.

Flowers at the scene in Bradford city centre (Dave Higgens/PA)

West Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct because officers had contact with Ms Akter before her death, a force spokesperson confirmed.

A 23-year-old man arrested in Cheshire on suspicion of assisting an offender remains in police custody.

Members of the public and the media are being thanked for sharing appeals for information in relation to Ms Akter’s death.

Detective Chief Inspector Stacey Atkinson, of West Yorkshire Police’s homicide and major enquiry team, said: “This is a tragic incident in which a mother has lost her life in the most horrific of circumstances.

“We understand that this has caused a considerable amount of concern in the local community. Local neighbourhood policing teams are patrolling the area conducting reassurance to the community.

“We would like to thank Thames Valley Police for their support and assistance in this matter.”